Watching the Ducks

Last week some friends were kind enough to take me to several beautiful spots in Baltimore. One of those spots was a quaint little duck pond hidden in a quiet neighborhood not too far from where I live. Today I had a lot of studying to do so I decided to head out towards the duck pond and spend a few hours sitting my the pond reading. It was such a delight watching these ducks. They are in turns graceful, playful, peaceful and social. They glide through the water so slowly, and then unexpectedly dive underneath the water and then come up several feet away, shaking the water off of their feathers. A little boy of about two years old stood by the pond and threw bread crumbs in the water for the ducks to eat. They responded by gobbling up these treats and quacking appreciatively to the little boy for the delightful snack. Because I was sitting quietly, they drifted close to me and I could see their webbed feet paddling underneath the water while the rest of their bodies stayed still. It was such a beautiful, enchanting environment to take in. Nature never ceases to delight and amaze me.